Abraham – Father Of Faith - 6

1. Abraham – Father Of Faith - 6 The Three Visitors(Genesis chapter 18)

2. Abraham’s Hospitality Genesis 18:1-8 MKJV And Jehovah appeared to him in the plains of Mamre, and he sat at the tent door in the heat of the day. (2) And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo, three men stood by him. And when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed toward the ground. (3) And he said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, do not pass away, I pray, from Your servant. (4) Let a little water, I pray, be brought, and wash Your feet, and rest under the tree. (5) And I will bring a bite of bread, and will comfort your hearts. After that You shall pass on. For this is why You have come to Your servant. And they said, Do so, as you have said. (6) And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal; knead it, and make cakes. (7) And Abraham ran out to the herd and brought a calf, tender and good. And he gave it to a young man. And he hurried to dress it. (8) And he took butter and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree, and they ate.

3. Respect In Action • Abraham takes the initiative to invite others • Abraham gives due recognition • Abraham acts quickly • Abraham gives his very best • Abraham stood by while they ate and did not presume to join them

4. Christians As Givers Of Respect • Recognizing that all people are made in the image of God. • That we are just ‘sinners saved by grace’. • We love our neighbor as ourselves • And put God’s interests and other people’s interests before our own. • Being gracious and kind and unselfish

5. Is Anything Too Hard For God? Genesis 18:9-15 MKJV And they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. (10) And He said, I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and lo, Sarah your wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard in the tent door which was behind Him. (11) Now Abraham and Sarah were old, far gone in days, and it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. (12) Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After my being old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? (13) And Jehovah said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I, who am old, truly bear a child? (14) Is anything too hard for Jehovah? At the time appointed I will return again, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. (15) Then Sarah denied, saying, I did not laugh; for she was afraid. And He said, No, but you did laugh.

6. Sarah Laughs….. • God promised a child to Sarah and Sarah overhears and laughs • Isaac means “laughter” • God replies “Is there anything too hard for Jehovah?” (question expects a “No” answer) • What God promises He can certainly deliver

7. Nothing Is Impossible With God • Nothing is impossible with God (Matthew 19:26, Luke 1:37) • All things are possible with God (Mark 10:27) • The things that are impossible with men, are possible with God (Luke 18:27) • All things are possible to him who believes, even with mustard-seed faith (Matthew 17:20, Mark 9:23)

8. God Trusts Abraham Genesis 18:16-19 MKJV And the men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. And Abraham was going with them to bring them on the way. (17) And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I do, (18) And Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the persons of the earth shall be blessed in him? (19) For I know him, that he will command his sons and his house after him, and they shall keep the way of Jehovah, to do justice and judgment, that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which He has spoken of him.

9. God Reveals His Plans! • Amos 3:7 MKJV For the Lord Jehovah will do nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. • God reveals His plans to the godly and works with His servants to accomplish His will • God trusted Abraham because of his righteous lifestyle over many years • God wanted Abraham to teach his children about the things of God and the ways of righteousness.

10. The Outcry Over Wickedness Genesis 18:20-22 MKJV And Jehovah said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, (21) I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which has come to Me. And if not, I will know. (22) And the men turned their faces away from there, and went toward Sodom. But Abraham still stood before Jehovah.

11. An Oppressive City • Sodom and Gomorrah were prosperous but full of pride, cruelty and oppression • Rape of both sexes was common • Sin was openly flaunted • God went down to check out all the facts before overthrowing the city. • The suffering of the people had “come before God”

12. The Justice Of God Genesis 18:23-26 MKJV And Abraham drew near and said, Will You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? (24) Perhaps there are fifty righteous within the city. Will You also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are in it? (25) Far be it from You to act in this manner, to kill the righteous with the wicked. And far be it from You, that the righteous should be as the wicked. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? (26) And Jehovah said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

13. God Delivers The Righteous • God makes a distinction between the righteous and the wicked when He judges e.g. in the plagues on Egypt. Exodus 9:3-6, 25-26, 10:23, 12:12,13,27 • God will not destroy the righteous along with the wicked – hence Noah’s Ark (2 Peter 2:4-9) • This leads to the idea of the Rapture in the last days. • No Christians appear to be on the earth during the final catastrophic Bowl judgments

14. God Delivers Others Because Of The Righteous • If there were fifty righteous people in Sodom God would have spared the whole city. • God sent angels to remove Lot from Sodom before He judged it • When the righteous leave the city or nation it is sometimes a prelude to judgment e.g when the Armenian Pentecostals left en masse just before the Turkish massacre of 1.4 million Armenians in 1917 • (Note: Greater Los Angeles has over 1 million evangelicals – the largest number of any American city.)

15. Abraham Intercedes For The Righteous Genesis 18:27-33 MKJV And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to Jehovah, who am but dust and ashes. (28) Perhaps there will be five lacking from the fifty righteous. Will You destroy all the city for lack of five? And He said, If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it. (29) And he spoke to Him yet again, and said, Perhaps there shall be forty found there. And He said, I will not do it for forty's sake. ..(32) And he said, Oh do not let Jehovah be angry, and I will speak only once more. Perhaps ten shall be found there. And He said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. (33) And Jehovah went His way as soon as He had left off talking with Abraham. And Abraham returned to his place.

16. Prayer Has A Moral Basis • Abraham asks for the correct application of God’s Justice • Abraham prays for the preservation of the righteous • Abraham does not pray for the preservation of the wicked as they are (to continue in their wickedness) • Mercy is shown to wicked people who repent (and do not continue in their wickedness)

17. God Listens To Abraham • God is patient with Abraham’s negotiating • Abraham is afraid for Lot and his family • Abraham leaves off when he is satisfied that God will not do anything unjust • Abraham relies on God’s character • Abraham does not bargain as in: “If you spare Lot I will..”